Gyeongbuk Province Resumes Senior Centers Operation... "Timing Decided by City and County Themselves"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Gyeongsangbuk-do announced that it will resume operations of senior centers from the 20th, following a preparation period from the 13th to the 17th, depending on the conditions of each city and county, for senior centers that have been closed since March.

There are 8,097 senior centers in the province, with approximately 315,000 registered members. As of the 13th, senior centers in Pohang (564), Seongju (284), and Uiseong (353) have already resumed operations. This accounts for 14.8% of all senior centers in Gyeongbuk, which is lower than the national senior center reopening rate of 19.7%.

As the closure of senior centers has prolonged, the number of elderly people complaining of depression and isolation has increased. Additionally, with the recent rise in temperatures, the need for heat relief shelters has grown, leading to increased calls for the reopening of senior centers. In Gyeongbuk, 4,528 out of 5,000 designated heat relief shelters, or 90%, are senior centers.

Gyeongbuk Province allocated 1 billion KRW (500 million KRW from national funds and 500 million KRW from local funds) for quarantine supplies in preparation for reopening senior centers. In cooperation with the National Disaster Relief Association and the Community Chest of Korea, all senior centers were provided with non-contact thermometers (worth approximately 800 million KRW) and hand sanitizers (worth 50 million KRW).

Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "Together with the 23 cities and counties, we will thoroughly inspect all preparatory measures during the week before reopening, including facility disinfection and quarantine plans within senior centers, to ensure that the elderly can use the centers in a safe environment free from COVID-19."